According to WHO statistics, as many as 170 million people worldwide are infected by hepatitis C virus (HCV), a viral infection of the liver. 75 to 85% of persons infected with HCV progress to chronic infection, approximately 20% of these cases develop complications of chronic hepatitis C, including cirrhosis of the liver or hepatocellular carcinoma after 20 years of infection. The current recommended treatment for HCV infections is a combination of interferon and ribavirin drugs, however the treatment is not effective in all cases and the liver transplantation is indicated in hepatitis C-related end-stage liver disease. At present, there is no vaccine available to prevent HCV infection, therefore all precautions to avoid infection must be taken. Therefore, sensitive HCV detection assays are important for public safety.